Perceptual Bias

Introduction, Types & rectification of Perceptual Bias

1. What is Perceptual Bias Why do we need to understand it?

2. Often the intentions some ones act Are misunderstood and perceptual bias may develop. Perceptual biases are Systematic errors in perceiving others. Perceptual bias can be quite damaging between individuals in the society. To a large extent Perceptions are the root cause of conflict.

3. It means you are biased against or for something based on your sensory inputs ( sight, touch , smell, taste, or hearing). Perceptual bias is the lens we automatically filter all of our experiences through. It makes some things seem more noteworthy than others. It guides our reactions and thoughts about what we experience, see, or feel.

4. Types of Perceptual Bias

5. 1- Fundamental Attribution E rror Is the tendency for people to place an undue emphasis on internal characteristics of the agent, rather than external factors, in explaining another person's behaviour in a given situation. This contrasts with interpreting one's own behaviour , where situational factors are more easily recognized and can be taken into account.

6. 2- Culture B ias People in individualist cultures , generally Anglo-American and Anglo-Saxon European societies, value individuals, personal goals, and independence. People in collectivist cultures see individuals as members of groups such as families, tribes, work units, and nations, and tend to value conformity and interdependence. This cultural trait is common in Asia, traditional Native American societies, and Africa .

7. People tend to attribute other people's behaviours to their dispositional factors while attributing own actions to situational factors. In the same situation, people's attribution can differ depending on their role as actor or observer 3- Actor - Observer D ifference

8. 4- Dispositional A ttributions Dispositional attribution is a tendency to attribute people's behaviours to their dispositions; that is, to their personality, character and ability.

9. 5- Self Serving Bias A self-serving bias is any cognitive or perceptual process that is distorted by the need to maintain and enhance self-esteem, or the tendency to perceive oneself in an overly favourable manner.

10. 6- Defensive Attribution Hypothesis The defensive attribution hypothesis is a social psychological term from the attribution approach referring to a set of beliefs used as a shield against the fear that one will be the victim cause of a serious mishap.

11. Belief bias is the tendency to judge the strength of arguments based on the possibility of their conclusion rather than how strongly they support that conclusion. In other words, if people agree with a viewpoint, they are inclined to believe that the process used to obtain the results must also be correct. 7- Belief Bias

12. Hindsight bias , also known as the knew-it-all-along effect or creeping determinism, is the inclination, after an event has occurred, to see the event as having been predictable, despite there having been little or no objective basis for predicting it. 8- Hindsight Bias

13. Selective perception is the tendency not to notice and more quickly forget stimuli that cause emotional discomfort and contradict our prior beliefs. 9- Selective Perception

14. Rectification

15. Wake Up ! In order for you to be able to challenge your bias, you need to be aware of them . This is often a process of reversed engineering, where you look at a statement you hold to be “true” and work your way backwards through the sometimes vast rootwork of assumptions, interpretations and cognitive bias.

16. Always FACT-CHECK y our Assumptions W hen we THINK we are basing our assumptions and interpretation on “fact”, when in reality we are basing them on assumptions? That is were we get ourselves entangled and confused. Trusting faulty logic is how bad choices are made, and misunderstanding between people arise.

17. Do not overlook the external cases of others’ behavior Identify your Stereotypes Evaluate people based on objective factors Avoid making rash decisions Overcoming Biases

18. Once lived a king in ancient times Who could only see with one eye  Born too with a defect in his leg But all challenges he had defied He called upon artists one day  To portray him in splendour grand Paint him with beauty and valour The finest in the land All artists faltered - nervous  "Could this be really done?  One eye, and oh that leg deformity..." All faltered except for one.  That artist caught the king in a frame  As if hunting, with one eye closed  Bent on one knee, targeting  A picture perfect pose How wonderful would it be too  Thoughtful and well meant   To go beyond ones weaknesses  And highlight their many strengths. A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE a poem by Nishu Mathur